Houthis detain UN personnel, accuse them of links to deadly Israeli airstrike

Forty-three local United Nations staff members in Yemen are set to face trial on suspicion of involvement in an Israeli airstrike that killed top Houthi officials in August, acting Foreign Minister of Yemen’s Houthi government, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, told Reuters.

The August strike on Sanaa, the capital, killed the prime minister of the Iran-backed Houthi-run government along with several other ministers, marking the first Israeli attack to eliminate senior Houthi officials.

The United Nations has consistently rejected Houthi claims that its staff or operations in Yemen played any role in the strike.

Abu Ras told Reuters that the detentions and subsequent procedures were carried out under full judicial supervision, with the public prosecution informed at every stage. “Therefore, as long as the prosecution is informed, it is certain that this process is moving toward its conclusion, leading to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings,” he said.

The acting foreign minister asserted that a cell within the World Food Programme was directly involved in targeting the government. There was no immediate comment from the World Food Programme. The UN has repeatedly denied accusations of its personnel engaging in spying.

According to UN reports, at least 59 UN personnel are currently held by the Houthis. The UN has condemned what it describes as arbitrary detentions, calling for the immediate release of its staff and other detainees.

All defendants are Yemeni nationals and, under Yemeni law, could face the death penalty. The latest detentions followed Houthi security forces entering several UN offices in Sanaa on Sunday. The UN has stated that Houthi actions are increasingly hampering its ability to provide assistance to those in need.

Abu Ras emphasised that the Houthi government is supporting other humanitarian organisations. “We have clarified in a clear and explicit statement from the Foreign Ministry that we will support and assist organisations committed to the principles of humanitarian work, facilitating their activities and work,” he said.

The Houthis have controlled large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power in 2014–2015. After the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, the group targeted global shipping lanes to show solidarity with Hamas and frequently fired missiles toward Israel, most of which were intercepted. Israel, in turn, launched a broad military campaign against its regional adversaries, including Iran-aligned Houthis.

By Tamilla Hasanova